The Waldos and the strength of the cannabis community.
The number 420 (four twenty) tells the story of an entire culture:
It is a date, that of April 20th (4.20 according to the Anglo-Saxon date scansion) in which World Cannabis Day is celebrated .
It is a "code" word that is part of the slang of cannabis smokers and consumers.
It is the symbol of a community of people dedicated to the consumption and celebration of cannabis.
But how did 420 arise and how did it spread into popular culture?
The legends and suppositions that have followed alternate absurdity and fantasy in a vortex that has often misled public opinion and the value of a story capable of testifying to the power of the community in question.
The Story of the Waldos Boys
Research, testimonies, and memorabilia testify to how 420 was born. The Waldos in the story we are about to tell you provided interviews and information to the Huffington Post in an interview that made history.
It was 1971 when five San Rafael High School students decided to meet on the wall behind the school (the group was called the Waldos for a reason), in the shadow of the statue of the chemist Pasteur. The time chosen had to be compatible with the end of practice; they were all athletic: 4:20 was a good time for everyone.
They had a mission, they had learned that a Coast Guard official had abandoned a plot of land in Port Reyes where he was growing cannabis, it was their opportunity to get some back for free.
All we had to do was say “Quattroeventi” and it was all clear: we would meet at the wall and they would hop in an old ’66 Chevy Impala and drive to Port Reyes in search of the camp.
How many times have you been told that it's not the destination that matters, but the journey?
For the San Rafael boys it was exactly like this, the Waldos did not find the El Dorado of cannabis but they still managed to consume it on the numerous trips they took and that was enough for them.
420 didn't disappear; it was already part of their slang, and as often happens, it quickly spread throughout the neighborhood: it became a code closely linked to cannabis use, first in the neighborhood, then in the city, and, thanks to a series of curious events, around the world.